Kelowna Chamber of Commerce looking for new CEO

The board of directors of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce says it searching for a new CEO following the sudden departure of Caroline Grover.

Grover, who held the job since 2011, was described as the driving force behind the Kelowna chamber, which was named Chamber of the Year in 2015 in B.C. and nationally recognized for organizational excellence in earlier this year.

“The (chamber) will be starting the new year with a search to replace outgoing CEO, Caroline Grover, said a brief new release issued Friday afternoon by the chamber.

No reason was given for Grover’s departure.

Questions about the change in leadership at the chamber—she has already left the position—and the search for her replacement were directed to chamber president Tom Dyas. He, however, was not immediately available to comment Friday afternoon.

The news release said the chamber’s directors thanked Grover for her achievements, hard work and dedication to the organization, including her efforts in the establishment of the Women’s Leadership Network, Young People in Business programs and hosting both the B.C. and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce annual conferences in Kelowna in recent years.

The chamber says it plans to start its search for a new CEO immediately.

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is the second largest chamber in the province, with 1,340 members representing an estimated 25,000 employees.